The present invention relates to supports for a cable run, which support electric power cables and/or data cables, wires, or the like over an extended length and generally horizontal run from power sources, and/or data sources to apparatus which is connected to a respective power source or data source. For example, and without limitation, the cable support may extend along and/or above or behind a ceiling or a wall between the source and the apparatus connected to it. Herein, one word cable includes cables, wires or other elongate carriers of power data or electricity.
One type of support for a cable run is a generally continuous tray or raceway, usually comprised of connected segments along the path of the supported cables, on which cables rest while extending between the cable supply source and the apparatus supplied by each cable. The present invention does not concern such a tray or raceway.
Another device for supporting cables extending on a generally horizontal run are a series of separate cable supports spaced along the cable run. Examples are cable support hooks spaced apart along the cable run and on which the cables are supported. An example of a cable support that is narrow in the cable run direction is a cable support hook disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,837,156 by the Applicant/Inventor hereof, entitled “Cable Support Hook”, and incorporated herein by reference. Other cable supports that are narrow in their width with reference to the length of the cable run are known in the art. The support provided for a cable run by hooks is generally provided only at the narrow width of each of the hooks in the cable run direction. The usually narrow width of the hooks and the relatively large spacing between adjacent hooks defines long stretches of unsupported cables in the cable run extending between adjacent hooks. Those long stretches and the weight and length of the cables are likely to strain the cables, which could weaken or damage them. Also, long unsupported stretches of cable may cause undesirable bending of the cable along its run. An unsupported cable may impinge on other cables or against other objects along the cable run.
A device that will effectively extend the support for cables along their cable run between supports provided by individual hooks or other localized supports and which is an uncomplicated device and may use less material than a cable tray and would provide additional support for cables, at a possibly reduced expense and requiring fewer installation steps, would be preferable, versus other devices used for supporting cable in an extended cable run.